A fire Monday afternoon in Holmes County claimed the lives of fifteen dogs. The fire was reported at around 5pm, at a building on County Road 229, about halfway between Fredericksburg and Mount Hope. Fire officials say the owner was using the building to raise the dogs and that it is possible it may have been part of a puppy mill operation. The cause of the fire is being attributed to a faulty cord on a heating lamp.

Council members in Wooster have unanimously approved a measure that will allow the city to seek bids for this year’s mowing contract. Council approved the measure during its meeting Monday night. The city usually pays about $55,000 a year for mowing services, which is budgeted from the water, sewer and public properties and parks funds. Wooster has contracted out it’s mowing for the past three years in order to give city crews more time to handle other jobs.

For the third year in a row, Dave Miller has been named the Rittman Police Department’s officer of the year. It is the first time in the award’s 36-year history that someone has won it three straight times. Miller is Rittman’s K9 officer and was also recently named the department’s SWAT team commander. During his career in law enforcement, Miller has also served in several other communities, including Creston, Shreve and Dalton.

Authorities continue to investigate an armed robbery over the weekend at the Greater Wayne Community Federal Credit Union in Rittman. It happened Saturday morning, at around 9am, when a white male wearing a ski mask walked in with a handgun and demanded money from one of the tellers. The man fled on foot after being given an undisclosed amount of cash. Anyone with information on Saturday’s robbery is asked to contact the Rittman Police Department.